Minister and SA Tourism clash over CEO suspension

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille is at odds with the board of South African Tourism (SA Tourism) over its decision to place its CEO, Nombulelo Guliwe, on precautionary suspension.

SA Tourism is a public national marketing agency of the South African government, with the goal of marketing tourism in the country. It falls under the Department of Tourism (DoT), with a R1.3 billion budget allocation.

On Thursday, 14 August 2025, the board announced that it had placed Guliwe on precautionary suspension effective immediately, citing allegations of serious misconduct.

“Our focus remains on sustaining the organisation’s operations, working with the private sector, safeguarding stakeholder relations, and ensuring that SA Tourism continues to promote the country’s tourism sector,” the board said in a brief statement.

De Lille’s office has, however, said that “according to the legal advice to the Minister, this decision is unlawful.”

“As of 31 July, the SA Tourism Board does not have a board chairperson following the resignation of Professor Gregory Davids.”

The minister said that this means the board in its current form is not properly constituted to take such a resolution.

“As the minister, I remain committed to ensuring the adherence to sound governance principles at SA Tourism and will address the above with the board,” said De Lille.

The public entity is a critical component of the country’s tourism sector. According to the latest Economic Impact Research, in 2025, tourism is forecasted to support 1.9 million jobs.

Underlining its role as a key employer, the sector accounts for an estimated 11.3% of all jobs in South Africa. 

Domestic and international visitor spending in 2025 is forecasted at R445 billion and R128.8 billion.

Recently, the entity tasked with selling South Africa’s image has been plunged into governance scandals.

City Press recently reported on allegations of irregularities in awarding a tender worth over R100 million.

The company awarded the bid to organise Meetings Africa and Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025, Pomme Express, faced claims of falsified documents and cronyism. No tender was awarded, and investigations are ongoing.

The scandal worsened when corruption allegations emerged after spending around R10 million on audit reports.

Guliwe, a qualified Chartered Accountant, was appointed to the CEO position for a five-year period in February 2024. With SA Tourism for a decade, she was previously its CFO.

SA Tourism’s scandals long predate Guliwe’s tenure.

A proposed R910 million sponsorship deal with the UK football club Tottenham Hotspur in 2023 sparked controversy, leading to board changes and the resignation of the chief marketing officer and acting CEO.

The board appointed Nomasonto Ndlovu as acting CEO, but she quickly withdrew and went back to her position as chief operations officer for the entity.

This came after a whistle-blower called the SA Tourism hotline to report that Ndlovu had allegedly accepted a R100,000 golden handshake from Qatar Airlines for flights in business class, accommodation, and World Cup tickets.

After Ndlovu’s withdrawal, the board appointed Guliwe as acting CEO in September 2023, and then as permanent CEO at the end of February 2024.

As of 14 August, Guliwe is still on precautionary suspension. De Lille’s spokesperson confirmed that the minister will still engage with the board.